Depth Podcast

This week, Allison Chambers shares her foster to adopt story. I love how God placed on her heart this calling to help foster babies. What started as only a desire for emergency placement quickly changed as both her and her husband attended the foster training classes. With three boys at home, they knew in their heart, God was calling them to adopt one more.

I just love their faithfulness in taking the next step.  Allison honestly shares the ups and downs of foster care as well as her road to adoption.  She encourages all of us to get involved by either taking classes or coming along side and supporting foster families.  Love her practical ideas of how we can help!

Friends, you don't want to miss this beautiful story of how God blessed them with sweet Judah.

Book Recommendations (*Amazon Affiliate Links)

*Adopted Twice- children's book

*How We Love Our Kids- parenting book

Has God placed a message on your heart that He wants you to share with others?  Do you feel called to write? Are you looking for a supportive community to come along side of you?

I have been a Hope Writer for a year now and love it!  Joining and building community has truly made such a difference for me.  The trainings and teachings are helpful and insightful. 

If you are interested, let me share with you some helpful free tools:

• Reimagine 2020 Webinar: Discover your writing rhythm, uncover your creative call, and finally bring your writing to life in only 20 minutes a day.
• May 2020 video series: How to (finally) make progress in your writing journey
• Quiz for the writer path
• 10 questions PDF: you ask yourself before you write a book
• Member Stories

Membership for Hope Writers only opens up a couple times a year and next week (May 18-22) is one of them.

Friends, writing can be a very lonely process, so community is so important! If you listen to my podcast, you can see that many of my guests I have met through Hope Writers. The Hope Writers Community is incredible and I highly recommend it.

This week, Monty Stepura shares her adoption story.  It is beautiful to see God’s provision as she shares each part of her journey. Honestly, it is amazing to trace His hands and fingerprints in each and every detail of her life.  Friends, her story is powerful, and you do not want to miss these special God moments!

In addition, Monty offers encouragement and hope to women considering adoption.  She shares some of her favorite books that helped her along her journey as well as some helpful Scripture verses.  I love her wisdom and insight!

Lastly, Monty Stepura is helping others through her mentoring ministry. She loves to support Christian Women with a genuine interest in being Mentored though the Adoption process in any or all of the following areas:

• Choosing an International vs Local Adoption
• The benefits of choosing an Open vs Closed Adoption
• What to expect during the Home Study Process
• Writing an effective Dear Birth Mother Letter
• Preparing for your baby's arrival in less than 9 months
• Meeting Other Adoptive Parents
• Telling Your Child He/She is Adopted
• What to do when your own health is compromised during the adoption process
• Resources and support for the journey

To express interest or for questions about the Mentoring Process, you can connect with Monty by email at [email protected] or message her on Instagram @mhstepura or Facebook- Monty Harding Stepura

Books Recommended by Monty:

• *Precious Bible Promises by Nelson Publishing
• *The Power of Encouragement by Jeanne Doering
• *Hope for the Adoption Journey: 28 True Post-Adoption Stories to Comfort and Encourage by Katherine Piper (Stories from twenty-eight women with very different circumstances who have adopted and fostered children, both domestic and international, of various ages and backgrounds, with a wide range of needs—and who have endured to share their joy. All profits will be used to help prospective adoptive parents bring their children home.)
• Encouragement for the Adoption & Parenting Journey by Rachel Garlinghouse and Madeline Melcher (a weekly devotional)

Special Mother’s Day Book Giveaway: https://jodirosser.com/giveaways/special-mothers-day-book-giveaway/

*Amazon Affiliate Link

This week, Allyn Ann shares her infertility story.  Through 10 years of ups and downs, 5 IUI cycles, 4 endometriosis surgeries, and 6 IVF procedures, Allyn Ann honestly shares her emotional journey to having 2 miraculous IVF babies.  You don’t want to miss her powerful story.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, Allyn Ann and I also talk about how we can come along side and help someone walking this hard road of infertility. I love her practical ideas as well as what to say and not to say.

Lastly, if you are walking this hard path of infertility, let me first say, I am so sorry. I believe Allyn Ann’s story will encourage you and remind you that you are not alone.  She also offers great advice about finding a support group and giving yourself lots of grace.  I hope her words offer you hope and encouragement.

To connect with Ally Ann and hear more about her foundation, Defiantly Hopeful, go to her website: www.defiantlyhopeful.org 

Allyn Ann and her husband, Jeremy, are passionate about building families through IVF.  It was out of their personal experience that they started their foundation to help make IVF available to couples who may otherwise not be able to build their family through this amazing technology.  They plan to give out 2-4 IVF grants a year. 

You can also follow along on Facebook and Instagram @Defiantlyhopeful to see the latest grant information and locations coming in the future.

Today, I talk with Becky Beresford, a fellow Hope Writer and friend. I love her passion for helping women embrace their worth. Her Brave Women Wednesday Series is my favorite! Each week, she highlights a different women’s story of God’s faithfulness as they find hope in the middle of loss, strength during times of uncertainty, and courage to combat fear and anxiety.  I cannot wait for you to hear Becky’s heart to help women find their true identity as God’s daughters! Honestly, it is my favorite part! 

Becky Beresford lives in Huntley, IL and is happily outnumbered by her husband and three wild boys. She is a writer, dreamer, certified life coach and speaker with a Master’s Certificate in Discipleship from Moody Theological Seminary. Becky loves encouraging God’s Daughters to embrace their holy worth and live life fully loved. When she isn’t at the keyboard, you can find her dreaming of sandy beaches, serving mamas in church and hanging with her people. She would love to connect with you online at BeckyBeresford.com, where you can grab a FREE copy of the Brave Woman Manifesto: Five Things to Tell Yourself When Life Gets Hard. Feel free to follow her and the weekly Brave Women Series on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter.

A to Z Identity List- go to https://gemsgc.org/?s=a+to+z+identity+list

Books Recommended by Becky:

• *Captivating by Stasi Eldredge
• *Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

*Amazon Affiliate Link

Today, I talk with Lysa TerKeurst about her book, *It's Not Supposed To Be This Way.  I don’t know about you, but I have found myself saying those exact words a lot lately due to the Covid-19 virus.  With graduations and weddings cancelled, many people are walking through a season of disappointment. Lysa shares some helpful tips on how to handle disappointment as well as some profound truth when you feel shattered. You do not want to miss what she reveals about dust. Honestly, it is my favorite part.

Also, I am giving away a copy of *It's Not Supposed To Be This Way on my website. Go to www.jodirosser.com and click on the book ministry tab for details.

Lysa TerKeurst is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and a #1 New York Times best-selling author of *It's Not Supposed To Be This Way, *Uninvited and twenty-one other books. But to those who know her best she’s just a simple girl who holds fast to God’s truth and speaks about hope in the midst of her own struggles. Lysa lives with her family in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Connect with her at www.LysaTerKeurst.com or on social media @LysaTerKeurst.

To join my new Depth Podcast Community Group, click on https://www.facebook.com/groups/depthpodcast

*Amazon affiliate Link

Today, I cannot wait for you to hear my conversation with Karen Ehman about her book, *Listen, Love, Repeat: Other-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World.  Her book encourages us to be more intentional and live alert. Taking our eyes off ourselves and placing them on others, we can “become a noticer” and scatter love and kindness.  I cannot wait for you to hear her share about a heartdrop; honestly, it is my favorite part. 

I promise you that you do not want to miss this episode!

Karen Ehman is a New York Times bestselling author, a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker, and a writer for Encouragement For Today, an online devotional that reaches over 4 million users daily. She has written 14 books and Bible studies including *Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It; When to Say Nothing at All, *Zip It: The Keep It Shut 40 Day Challenge and *Keep Showing Up: How to Stay Crazy in Love You’re your Love Drives You Crazy. Karen has been featured on numerous media outlets including TODAY Parents, FoxNews.com, Redbook.com, Crosswalk.com, and HomeLife Magazine. Her passion is to help women to live their priorities as they reflect the gospel to a watching world. Married to her college sweetheart, Todd, and the mother of three, she enjoys collecting vintage kitchenware, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and feeding the many people who gather around her kitchen island for a taste of Mama Karen's cooking. Connect with her at karenehman.com.

Book Recommendation by Karen:  *Soul Keeping by John Ortberg

To learn more about the Jessie Rees Foundation, go to: https://negu.org/

To learn more about how to feed Orange County Health Workers on the Frontlines, go to https://www.feedthefrontlinesoc.com/

*Amazon affiliate Link

Today, I talk with Jenn Whitmer about how to deal with stress in a healthy way as we are all walking through uncertain times due to the coronavirus.  As an Enneagram coach, Jenn offers wonderful insight for each Enneagram number and shares practical tools on how to stay healthy in the middle of this extremely stressful season.  

She is truly a wealth of knowledge, and I promise you that you do not want to miss this episode.

Jenn speaks, writes, and coaches with joy, asking big questions that lead to big dreams and big ideas, always finding a way of being and doing in the world that is healthy and effective. Usually, that means laughing.

This is what she loves to do: promote connection and flourishing. With more than 20 years of experience in teaching, coaching, and connecting all kinds of people, she has found all her experience and education have led to a lot more learning. Specializing in interpersonal conflict resolution, communication, leadership, and the Enneagram, Jenn loves helping others communicate through difficulty, so they are more connected and whole on the other side. 

You can connect with Jenn on her website: https://jennwhitmer.com/ 

To join my new Depth Podcast Community Facebook group, please click on the following link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/depthpodcast

Today, I am thrilled to announce that my two sons are my guests on my podcast this week!  We talk all about family and feelings. As we enter this uncertain season with the coronavirus, I know that many kids and parents are experiencing lots of emotions.  Worry, disappointment, fear, and sadness are just some of the ones occupying our minds.

I thought it would be helpful for my boys and me to share some of the creative tools that we learned in counseling during those emotionally hard years following the divorce.  Honestly, it was so special recording an episode with my sons, but I think what makes it even more special is seeing God use one of the most heartbreaking years of our lives to help others dive deeper into their emotions. 

Praying this episode encourages you and ignites in you a desire to grow deeper in your emotional literacy! I promise it will change your life for the better!

https://jodirosser.com

Book Recommendations:

*How We Love Our Kids by Milan and Kay Yerkovich

*Amazon Affiliate Link

Today, I cannot wait for you to hear my conversation with Amy Terry.  We discuss her devotional, *Spring Cleaning for Your Heart & Home.  I think you are going to love the premise behind her book as she looks closer at a verse in Matthew.  Honestly, hearing this special verse in the Message version was one of my favorite parts.

Again, I love God’s Timing for this episode on spring cleaning as we are staying home for the next weeks.  I think decluttering and simplifying are both a great use of our time as we are “sheltering in place”.  Amy focuses on more than just the physical cleaning of our homes; I love how she connects it to our hearts! 

I promise you that you do not want to miss this episode.

Amy Terry is a writer of Bible Studies and Monday Morning Devotions on Biblical Daughterhood at amydterry.com. She lives in North Carolina with her Nascar chaplain husband, three kids, and a Malshi puppy named Millie. Find her Devotional: *Spring Cleaning for Your Heart & Home: Praying Your Way to a Clean House.

*Amazon Affiliate Link

Today, I cannot wait for you to hear my conversation with Rachel Larkin. We highlight her book, *Simple Prayer: The Guide for Ordinary People Seeking the Extraordinary. I love her insight and wisdom on prayer and journaling.  You definitely do not want to miss her story about the sparrow as well as the cockroaches and how they apply to Scripture and prayer. Honestly, these are my favorite parts! 

Also, I love God’s perfect timing for this podcast episode on prayer.  With a national emergency and the coronavirus, prayer is so important. I want you to know that I am praying for you and our country.  I am praying for those who are vulnerable and at risk.  I am praying for those who work in the medical field: doctors, nurses, and hospital staff.  Lastly, I am praying for all of us to unite and help those in need. Prayer is a powerful tool! Will you join me in praying?

Rachel Larkin is an author, speaker, chartered accountant and home-school mum. She lives in New Zealand with her husband and their three young adult sons. She is the author of *Simple Prayer: The Guide for Ordinary People Seeking the Extraordinary https://www.rachellarkin.com/book/simple-prayer/ . She has a passion to see believers growing in faith and prayer as well as developing their potential for Jesus. She blogs at rachellarkin.com. To find out more on seeing God turn up in your daily life, Rachel has a free eBook available for download - The Untold Story: 7 Steps to Seeing God in the Midst of your Real Messy Life    https://www.rachellarkin.com/newsletter

*Amazon Affiliate Link